Dex, a smile curving his firm mouth, lifted his glass. 'A toast to a much-married mum and Mike, without whom you and I would never have met.'
Embarrassed, but oddly pleased, Beth lifted her glass and returned the toast. Replacing her glass on the table, she said, 'No more champagne; I think I've had quite enough.' And, pushing her almost empty plate slightly forward, she continued, 'No more food, either. It was delicious, but I really can't eat any more.'
'I don't have that problem,' Dex drawled, clearing his plate and placing the cutlery on it. 'In fact, I think I'll have a dessert; I love sweet things.' And, catching her green eyes with his, he continued throatily, 'You are the sweetest thing I have met in a long time. Can I have you, Beth?' Then, tossing his head back, he laughed out loud at her look of confusion.
She wanted to be offended but his laughter was infectious, so she smiled, then laughed as well. 'You know, I've discovered something about you, Dexter Giordanni,' she finally managed to say pertly. 'You are an incorrigible flirt.'
'Only with you, Beth, only ever with you.'
If only she could believe him, she thought, gazing at him as he paid the bill, adding a very generous tip. She had been out with plenty of men—well, not plenty, more like half a dozen. Her last date had been with a young man from the office. She had spent an enjoyable evening in a local wine bar with Dave, but they had both decided without a word being spoken they were destined to be workmates and nothing more. Now, watching Dex, she knew this was different. She could very easily fall in love with him, and it frightened her even as it excited her.
He turned his head and caught her staring, and one dark brow arched enquiringly. 'Have I got a smudge on my nose?' he asked, perfectly aware she had been studying him.
'No, you have a very nice nose,' she shot back. 'I was simply thinking what a lovely evening it has been.' That was not exactly a he, she told herself, rather proud of her ability to appear cool and collected in his sophisticated presence, when inside her heart was beating like a drum.
'Has been? But it is not over yet; the night has hardly begun.' Getting to his feet, he took the shawl the waiter handed to him. 'Come on, you look the sort of girl who likes to take chances. I will show you my new casino.'
Beth stood up and smoothed her skirt down over her slender hips, intensely aware of Dex's blatantly sensual gaze following the movement of her hands as his own large hands carefully slipped her wrap around her shoulders,
'You look beautiful,' he murmured, his hands lingering for a moment on her shoulders. His dark head bent and his lips brushed the top of her head. 'Let's get out of here before I make a fool of myself.' Slipping his hand down to the small of her back, he guided her out of the restaurant and into the waiting limousine.
Inside, seemingly casually, Dex curved his long arm around her shoulders and pulled her swiftly close to him. All Beth's hard-won poise deserted her in an instant, and, looking up at him through the thick brush of her lashes, she quivered at the glimpse of fire that blazed in his eyes.
'You're safe with me, Beth,' he murmured softly.
'I know.' Beguiled by his many compliments and real desire for her, she believed him, and snuggled into his side with a deep sigh of contentment. The rest of the trip was accomplished in a companionable silence until the car stopped.
Sitting up, Beth glanced out of the window. 'Is this it?' she said feeling rather disappointed. There were no neon lights or flashing signs, simply an elegant black and gold door in the centre of what looked like a typical Georgian terraced house.
'Discretion is the name of the game,' Dex offered, helping her out of the car. Taking her hand in his, he led her across the pavement and through the black door into another world.
As soon as they walked into the entrance foyer a young woman dashed to take her wrap. Then a hard- faced man appeared and Dex introduced her—the casino manager, a Mr Black, a name Beth found very appropriate; he was swarthy, stocky, and looked dangerous while his voice oozed charm.
She had never been in a casino before, but when Dex ushered her into a huge room with a graceful curved staircase leading to the upper floor it didn't take her long to realise it was a very serious business. Glittering crystal chandeliers illuminated a dozen or more tables surrounded by smartly dressed people. The walls were lined with slot machines, like an army of alien, robotic guards, with yet more people seated in front of them. But it was the avid expressions on the customers' faces that Beth found somehow chilling.
'You look a little stunned,' Dex opined, with a dry smile. 'Surely you have been in a casino before?'
'No, I haven't, and I can't believe so many people are prepared to waste money this way,' she said bluntly. Her answer seemed to surprise him, but not for long.
'Then you ain't seen nothing yet, babe,' he drawled in a mock-American accent. His grey gaze swept down over the soft curve of her breasts and back to her face, and with a seductive look, he added, 'Stick with me, babe, and I'll show you a good time.' And, putting an arm around her waist, he chuckled at her look of outrage.
'Fool,' Beth laughed, realising he was teasing, and gave him a sharp dig in the ribs with her elbow.
'I know, but I can't resist teasing you.' At that point Mr Black said something in Dex's ear, and the amusement left his face.
'Sorry, Beth, I need to go to the office, but I'll show you the rest on the way. This is just for starters. The bar and restaurant are through there.' He gestured with his free hand as they reached the bottom of a grand staircase. 'Up here there are two more gaming rooms, where the stakes rise accordingly. Plus the offices,' he informed her as they ascended the stairs, his arm dropping from her waist.
Beth watched him as they walked up, and saw a stranger. Dex was suddenly all efficiency, no trace of humour left. Tall and aloof, he strode up the stairs and through to another room, taking deferential greetings from various people with a word, or a nod, and a smile that never reached his eyes.
His plain black dinner suit and conservative white shirt could not conceal the powerful muscled body beneath, or a certain air of danger about him. The other people in the room faded into insignificance beside him. It was obvious to Beth, and everyone else, that this man was the master of all he surveyed, the hard-headed, powerful ruler of the lot; the Boss. It wasn't just his height or his build, but the intangible aura he carried with him, a dynamism that radiated from him, a supreme confidence in his own worth that made weaker mortals shrink back.
Beth shuddered; a ghost is walking over my grave, she thought, but dismissed the notion when Dex halted her with a large hand curving over her shoulder. The touch of his hand on her bare flesh was enough to make her forget every rational thought.
His dark head bent towards her, and in her heightened emotional state she imagined he was going to kiss her, but she was sadly disillusioned when he said starkly, 'This room is for the high rollers, where the real money changes hands. Black is getting you some chips so you can play.'
Play! She wouldn't know where to start. Curious, Beth looked around: no slot machines here, but a peculiar silence, punctuated by the occasional voice of a croupier. Around the large green baize tables were expensively dressed customers, some obviously from the Middle East, judging by their garb, and the few ladies present, mostly old, wearing enough jewellery to pay off the National Debt.
'Here, Beth.' Dex thrust a handful of round tokens at her. 'Enjoy yourself. I won't be long.'
'Can't I come with you?' she blurted, suddenly feeling completely out of her element. 'I'm not a gambler, and I don't think I want to be.'
His fingers caught her chin and he tilted her head up. 'You look stunningly beautiful, Beth, and I will get my business concluded much quicker without you to distract me. Understand?' His grey eyes roamed over her delicate features. 'You will be perfectly all right on your own; no one will bother you.' His glance slid down her body like a warm caress, and back to her face again. 'Everyone knows you're with me,' he ended with unconscious arrogance, and, letting hi
s hand sfide from her chin to her shoulder, he squeezed her gently in a casual reassuring gesture.
'Yes. . .w-well,' she stuttered. Her flesh burned beneath his fingers and her body was aware of him with every pore.
She tore her gaze from his and glanced distractedly around the room. Her green eyes widened in astonishment as she caught sight of someone she knew—Paul. Even in this crowd he stood out.
Tall, his blond hair turning here and there to white, his exquisitely tailored dinner suit fitting his slim, elegant body to perfection, he looked what he was: a man of distinction. The lines of character in his face reflected his fifty-three years, but in no way detracted from his handsome features.
Paul Morris. . . He looked across, his blue eyes surprised when they met Beth's. She watched as he made his way towards her, determination in every stride. But he was supposed to be in Italy. What was he doing back so soon? she wondered. Her lips curled in a slow smile. At least she wouldn't be alone.
She glanced back at Dex, whose hand hadn't left her shoulder. 'Okay,' she said. But he was not looking at her, instead he was watching Paul approach, with a dark frown on his face.
'No, you are right. You are coming with me,' Dex ordered curtly, his hand dropping to her waist and hauling her hard against him.
'Bethany, what on earth are you doing here?' Paul stopped a foot away, and, taking in the proprietary arm around her waist, he flashed a hard smile at Dex. 'Giordanni. I'd heard you were buying the place. Congratulations.' Then, turning worried blue eyes back to Beth, he continued, 'I didn't know you knew Mr Giordanni, Bethany.'
'And I thought you were in Italy,' she shot back. She had dined with him ten days ago and he had told her he was going to his estate in Italy.
'Oh, I was, and I will be again in another few hours.' Paul glanced at the gold Rolex on his wrist. 'This is just a flying visit—twenty-four hours. I had some business that couldn't wait. That's why I didn't call you. But enough about me. What are you doing here? You don't gamble,' he ended sternly.
Beth opened her mouth to answer but was forestalled by Dex.
'The lady is with me, Morris.' His fingers nipped her waist, demanding her compliance. 'And we have urgent business to attend to in private—haven't we, darling?' Dex's grey eyes captured hers and his head lowered, his firm mouth brushing her parted lips. It was a fleeting kiss, but it was enough to set her heart racing, and she stared back at him, too dumb to answer.
'I hope you know what you're doing, Beth.' Paul said, bringing her back into the conversation.
She looked at Paul and smiled a misty, bemused smile. 'Yes, Paul.'
Paul sighed, a wry smile of acceptance curving his mouth. She was a grown woman; it had to happen some time.
'You're a man of the world, Morris, I'm sure you understand,' Dexter cut into the silence. 'Enjoy your gambling and excuse us.' And with a deft twist Dexter spun Beth round.
She only had time to call, 'See you, Paul,' over her shoulder as, with almost indecent haste, Dex urged her towards the back of the room and a large nondescript door. The incongruous note was the man who guarded it and opened it at their approach. He looked like a heavyweight boxer with the nose to match.
She registered that they were in a dimly lit hallway, and had opened her mouth to ask where the fire was— she would have quite liked to talk to Paul—when she registered the stark fury in Dex's steely eyes.
'Old man Morris a friend of yours, is he?'
'Yes, a very good—' She never got the chance to finish the sentence.
Dex pushed her back against the wall, his dark head swooping down, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss of pure male dominance. Shocked by his sudden aggression, the fierce pressure of his mouth, the feel of his huge body hard against her much smaller frame, she instinctively struggled to break free. But she was helpless against his superior strength, and his mouth ground against hers with a demanding arrogance that was as exciting as it was alien to her.
Then, suddenly, something peculiar happened. One second she was fighting him and the next she felt her body melting against his as his lips gentled against her mouth. His kiss softened, his tongue traced the outline of her mouth, his teeth nibbled gently on her bottom lip until, with a sigh of complete surrender, she opened her mouth to him. She lifted her hands, her fingers tangling in the silky black thickness of his hair, and kissed Dex back without realising what she was doing.
His mouth burned against hers, his tongue toying with hers in an erotic, thrusting dance. Her hands slid to his broad shoulders. She felt his muscles tense beneath the smooth fabric of his jacket and trembled as his hand slid down her naked throat, his long fingers tracing the soft curve of her breast and palming its lush fullness in his hand, before sliding lower, tracing the indentation of her waist, the soft flare of her hips. It was only when she felt his hand stroke up her leg to her naked thigh she began to panic again. 'No.' Beth uttered a cry of protest and closed her hand around his strong wrist.
Dex finally raised his head, his breathing surprisingly unsteady. 'Stockings as well. What are you trying to do to me?' he groaned as he slid his hand from under the hem of her short dress and, drawing away from her, brushed his ruffled hair from his brow. They stared at each other, neither one capable of speech for a moment. But it was Dex who recovered first.
'I guessed you would be dynamite, but I admit even I am surprised at exactly how explosive we are together.' His grey eyes glittered down into hers. She stared back, her pulse thudding erratically, her green eyes wide and bemused. She was so stunned by her own violent reaction, she couldn't speak.
'I was right; I should have left you to the gaming tables. You are more than a distraction; you're a lethal weapon, lady.' He grinned, a self-deprecating smile, and, clasping her hand in his, he added, 'Come and I will show you the rest of my newly acquired toys, before we get into any more trouble.'
Beth was grateful for his matter-of-fact attitude; it helped to calm her leaping responses. Then Mr Black appeared at the end of the hall and it was back to business for Dex. They left her sitting in a functional office and retired to an inner sanctum, Dex having explained that it was the manager's office and also the strongroom.
Beth spent the rest of their evening together in an emotional haze, trying to deal with her chaotic response to Dex. She was glad when, on returning to the outer office, he suggested taking her home. In the car he arranged to call for her the next morning at ten, and, on walking her to the door of her apartment, the light kiss he pressed on her lips was warm and somehow reassuring.
Tired, but happy, she crawled into bed, expecting to sleep. But she lay awake for hours, her mind reliving the events of the night. The intimate dinner with Dex, the sound of his deep, sexy voice, the touch of his hand. She tossed restlessly, her body unnaturally warm, her breasts hardening as she remembered the casino, and the sudden passionate interlude on the way to the office.
She turned over onto her stomach and buried her head in the pillow. Any more erotic memories, Beth told herself sternly, and she would never sleep. Closing her eyes, she tried to make her mind blank, but something niggled at her conscience until finally she remembered.
Dex had thrust the chips in her hand and told her to play. It had been odd. . . One minute he had been determined to leave her at the gaming tables, and yet he had changed his mind in a flash when she had spoken to Paul. Maybe Dex was jealous! Surely that proved he was as smitten with her as she was with him. On that happy notion, Beth drifted off to sleep.
CHAPTER THREE
Beth woke up to bright autumn sunshine blazing through the window, and she smiled to herself. It was an accurate reflection of how she felt inside, and all because Dexter Giordanni had entered her life. . . She said his name out loud as she jumped out of bed and headed for the shower, loving the sound of his name almost as much as she loved the man.
She froze, one foot in the shower stall; the enormity of what she had just admitted to herself hit her like a bolt from the blue. Slowly she steppe
d into the shower and turned on the water. The impossible had happened. She had fallen in love at first sight.
A worried frown creased her smooth brow. What was she thinking of? In love. . .she couldn't be. Beth had always prided herself on being sensible where men were concerned, and had never let a man get too close to her. The example of her mother, Leanora, had taught her from an early age that there was no such thing as true love. And watching her stepbrother's girlfriends come and go like yo-yos had confirmed Beth's cynicism where the L-word was concerned. Yet here she was, mooning like a love-sick calf over a man she had only just met.
Dex was an experienced man of the world. He probably knew exactly how he affected her. Who was she fooling? Not probably, positively! Beth blushed at the memory of being locked in his arms, his hand on her breast, her thigh. Abruptly she turned the water from hot to cold, and when she felt thoroughly numb she stepped out of the shower and rubbed herself down with a large towel with a lot more force than was strictly necessary— memories of her years in the convent school reminding her of the sins of the flesh.
Dried, and dressed in navy trousers, a white silk shirt and a buttercup-yellow wool cardigan, Beth ate her breakfast of cereal and toast. Lingering in the kitchen over her second cup of coffee, she told herself she must slow down where Dex was concerned. She had dressed conservatively, and she would act with reserve in his company today. She was frightened of how he could make her feel, and her innate common sense told her she hardly knew the man.
It was a much more subdued Beth who opened the door an hour later to the object of her turbulent thoughts.
'Don't I get a smile?' Dex demanded in a throaty drawl.
She had managed to stay calm long enough to say hello to him over the intercom and let him in to the building. But seeing him in the flesh knocked every sensible resolution out of her head. He was leaning with one arm propped against the doorframe, his large body almost blocking the light and angled towards Beth.
Giorganni's Proposal Page 3
